Entries by Heather Stimmler-Hall
(55)

NOTE: After a short period of cancellation, the Open-Air Cinema Festival is back on! Beginning Saturday, July 30, films will be shown according to schedule inside La Villette's Grande Halle.

Summer Festivals (en français)The weekly metro magazine A Nous Paris has the entire French summer festival calendar online, with the best art, music and film festivals throughout France to download, in French only: Festivals on A Nous Paris

July 1-September 3After the rising heat in Paris drove locals into the parks to cool off last summer, the city has decided to allow us more access around the clock. Nine large Parisian parks and several smaller ones will be open 24/7 throughout the summer including Place des Vosges (4th), le Jardin des grands explorateurs (6th, just below Luxembourg), le Parc Kellermann (13th), le Parc Montsouris (14th), le parc André-Citroën (15th), le parc Martin-Luther-King (17th, next to Batignolles), le Parc des Buttes Chaumont (19th), le Square Séverine (20th) and les Pelouses d’Auteuil (16th).

Through July 14See the intriguing photos of the women of Gaza in the exposition Wonderwomen: Women of Gaza at the Galerie Aiguillage in Les Frigos (the famous art squat in the 13th, rue des Frigos, metro Bibliothèque). The galerie is free and open to the public Mon-Fri 12:30-5pm, with a café space. Don't miss this unique show!

Through July 17The Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme is hosting a photo exposition "Lore Krüger: A Photographer in Exile, 1934-1944". Considered one of the great photographers of the interwar period, she had an original look at street scenes, landscapes, and dramatic portraits. Closed Saturdays.

Fridays through July 29Streat Art (sic) is a food truck festival every Friday night at the Clignancourt Marché aux Puces, 6-11pm, with a bar and DJ for the festive atmosphere.

Through July 31The 22nd annual Paris Jazz Festival: come enjoy traditional Parisian and international jazz music in the Bois de Vincennes's Parc Floral. Entrance to the park is 6 €.

Through August 27La Nuit aux Invalides is an impressive sound and light show in the courtyard of Invalides highlighting the monument's history (Louis XIV, Napoléon, Charles De Gaulle), in English on Monday and Thursday nights. Tickets €18 (adult price). See the teaser video.

July 1-3See some world class horses at the Paris Eiffel Jumping event this weekend, featuring the 40 best riders attempting to make it over the obstacles on the Bagatelle course in the Bois de Boulogne. The best part is that it's 100% free and open to the public.

July 2Paris treasure hunt: both French and international visitors are invited to discover the "Paris of the Parisians". This unusual way to explore the capital city will lead contestants down untrodden paths and through secret passages. Roadbooks will be available in French and English. Many prizes to win! This event is free.

July 2-3Paris à la Nage is an international Open Swim Stars event that -- historically in Paris -- used to take place in the Seine from 1905 until just after WW2. Today it takes place in the Bassin de la Villette (top of the Canal, 19th) with both former swim champions and passionate amateur athletes competing in three distances, 1km, 2km and 5km. If you'd like to participate or be a volunteer for the event, check out their website.

July 6-8Paris celebrates Les Heures Heureuses (Happy Hours!) with participating restaurants and bars offering finger foods for just €2. Get your "passport" and the list of restaurants around Paris on the official website (en français) or at the Hôtel de Ville (Paris Rendez-Vous, 29 rue de Rivoli).

July 13-14 Bastille Day"Liberty, Equality, Fraternity!" Click here to read the defintitive guide to what to see and do in Paris on July 13th and 14th, what's open, what's not, how to get around, where the parties will be, and insider tips on being prepared: http://bit.ly/BastilleDayPAris

July 18 - August 21Paris Plages: sand, beach trees, volley balls and bikinis -- on the Seine! Along the Right Bank quays and Hôtel de Ville until August 21st. This year's edition of the Paris Plages will feature many fun activities. Free entry, 9am-midnight.

July 13-August 21 The annual Open-Air Cinema Festival takes place Wed-Sun nights at the Parc de la Villette's Triangle Prairie (metro Porte de Pantin), starting at sunset (around 10pm), free entry (deck chair rentals from 7:30pm). French and international films (all in VO with French subtitles), this year's theme is "Dress Code", with films that include Mustang, Rushmore, Gravity, Miami Vice, the original Batman, Start Trek, Full Metal Jacket, and films from Jacques Tati, Pedro Almodovar, and Tim Burton. Update: Beginning Saturday, July 30, all films will be shown inside La Villette's Grande Halle.

July 20-23Choose between 31 free concerts at the Festival FNAC Live, featuring artists like Jungle, Louise Attaque, Feu! Chatterton, and Jain. Shows at the Scène du Parvis are open access. Shows at the Scène du Salon require an invitation that can be picked up for free at FNAC stores in Paris starting at noon on Wednesday, July 20. See the full program here.

July 24Since 1975, the finish line for the Tour de France has been at the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs Elysées. Join the crowd of Parisians and tourists alike to see the winner of the race. Expected arrival time: 5:30pm.

Through October 1Looking for an alternative to Paris Plage? Glazart (near Parc de la Villette in the 19th) has it's own version, La Plage (the Beach), with free live music, techno parties, a huge sand "beach" with terrace, cocktail bar, food trucks, food trucks, and even pétanque. See the entire schedule of concerts here.

Through September 18Fan of Ice Age, Horton, Robots and other animated films of Blue Sky Studios? Don't miss the exhibition of their work in 800 drawings, paintings, and sculptures at the Musée Art Ludique, Docks en Seine, 34 quai d'Austerlitz, Paris 13th. Tckets €11-€16.50.

Through September 30The Mémorial de la Shoah is hosting a free exhibition on Women in the Resistance. A fascinating look at the role of women -- including many Jewish women -- who resisted the Nazis during the occupation. It features the recent publication of historic graphic novels on the subject published by Editions Casterman. Although the Holocaust Memorial's permanent collection is in English and French (and worth a visit itself if you are curious about the history of the Jewish people in France both before, during and after WWII), but the exhibit is in French with audio-guides in English. Free entry.

Through October 1Looking for an alternative to Paris Plage? Glazart (near Parc de la Villette in the 19th) has it's own version, La Plage (the Beach), with free live music, techno parties, a huge sand "beach" with terrace, cocktail bar, food trucks, food trucks, and even pétanque. See the entire schedule of concerts here.

Through October 16Looking for a strange and unique place to visit? Like trains and food trucks? Grand Train is the "event of the season", in a disaffected train depot on the northern edge of the city, (26 rue Ordener, 18th, metro Marcadet-Poissoniers) with real historic trains, many different kinds of food-truck style food (pizza, Asian, gluten-free, Argentinean BBQ, etc), bars, a playground for kids and garden terraces to enjoy the sunshine. Free entry, stuff to buy, hipsters and their kids to compete with for the best spots.

Summer Festivals (en français)The weekly metro magazine A Nous Paris has the entire French summer festival calendar online, with the best art, music and film festivals throughout France to download, in French only: Festivals on A Nous Paris

June 1-30June is the Mois de L'Architecture en Ile-de-France, a festival of architecture in the Paris and surrounding Ile-de-France region. The schedule of guided visits (some free, some for a fee) is only in French, but worth a peek for fans of architecture. See the full program here.

Through -June 5The annual French Open at Roland Garros takes place for two weeks in the Bois de Boulogne (16th). Tickets go fast, get yours on their official website.

June 3-5The annual Rendez-Vous aux Jardins festival opens over 3500 gardens throughout France for visits by the public. In Paris there are special tours and access to gardens in the Jardin des Plantes, the Musée du Vivant (part of the sustainable ecology school), Musée Curie, the forest in the Bibliothèque Nationale François Mitterrand, and Parc Montsouris. For many of the visits you need to email to sign up for free (like the vegetable garden on the roof of the Musée du Vivant). Don't be shy! There is a half-decent English version of the site (click upper right).

June 4Keep Paris beautiful! Today is the Paris Fais-toi Belle! community clean-up event, where each arrondissement is having a neighborhood spring tidy up (gloves, bags, brooms, tongs and other cleaning equipment provided). A nice way to pitch in and maybe even meet your neighbors. ;-) Click on your arrondissement to find out the time and place to meet near you (en français).

June 4The 16th annual Carnaval Tropical parade with 4000 dancers celebrating French West Indies cultures as well as other dancers from Brazil, China, Colombia and other nations around the world. They start at Hôtel de Ville at 2pm, up to Place de la République until 6pm. Come see the dancers and try out the exotic foods on sale!

June 4 & 26Have you ever seen ‪‎classical improvisation live? Don't miss the virtuoso Japanese-American pianist Alexander Kato-Willis create gorgeous, classical music before your eyes during a one-hour concert (followed by reception with wine and nibbles) in a private home on the Rue St-Honoré in Paris' 1st arrondissement. Every note is created in the moment; no performance is ever the same. This type of classical improvisation has not been seen since Beethoven’s day! See a recent performance recorded here. I go to a lot of classical concerts in Paris and Alexander's really blew me away! Tickets €25. For more info, visit: yesgolive.com/alexander-kato-willis.

June 5Come bike on the Avenue des Champs Elysées for the annual Les 24h Vélib'. The street is closed to traffic from 8am-8pm for a bike festival with several events for adults and kids, food trucks, pétanque, live DJ entertainment, information stands, etc. If you'd like to participate in the charity fundraising Vélib' relay just show up and look for the Grand Boucle signs (every 2 laps pedalled = 1€ for charity).

June 7-16Another world-class musical in English is playing at the Théâtre du Châtelet this month, wonder.land: the edgy modern-day take on Alice in Wonderland "that explores the blurred boundaries between our online and offline lives." Commissioned in partnership with the Manchester International Festival and the National Theatre, wonder.land uses a combination of live theatre and digital sets, as well as a score is by Damon Albarn (of the British group Blur), to create a very contemporary look at coming-of-age in the 21st century. Tickets from €10 to €55.

June 7-14French directors Alexandre Aja and Nicole Garcia are the presidents of this year's 5th annual Champs Elysées Film Festival, with French and American indie films in competition. "Three selections of American and French films are in the running: eight American independent feature-length films, nine American short films and twelve French short films. Almost half of the short films are produced by American or French film schools. The winner of each category is awarded the Audience Award, during the Closing Ceremony." There will be many other events, including off-competition screenings, premiers, events where you can meet the cast and directors, etc. Festival passes are €50, you can also buy single tickets to the screenings.

June 10-12The Portes d'Or is a chance for all the artistic workshops in the Goutte d'Or (18th arrondissement) to open their doors to the public. Over 65 painters, sculptors, jewelery-makers and many others who live and work in the Goutte d'Or wish to share their creativity. Please come support the community and experience these unique productions.

June 11One each month the historic Max Linder Panorama cinema has a Nuit aux Max theme night with three cult films followed by breakfast, all for just €15. For June it's Bruce Willis night, with Die Hard 3, The Fifth Element, and Hudson Hawk, all in original version with French subtitles. Yippe ki yay, motherfuckers!

June 14-August 27La Nuit aux Invalides is an impressive sound and light show in the courtyard of Invalides highlighting the monument's history (Louis XIV, Napoléon, Charles De Gaulle), in English on Monday and Thursday nights. Tickets €18 (adult price). See the teaser video below:

June 17-24Paris, Lyon and Marseilles are hosting city-wide events for Summer Cocktail Week. Register online to get your free pass!

June 17-18Sinfonietta, a unique chamber music group, presents their last "Music by the Glass" event of the season with two evenings of Mozart and Fauré followed by a wine tasting and meeting with the musicians. We are very pleased to welcome artists Louise Salmona (Opéra National de Paris) on violin, Deanna Anderson (Minnesota Orchestra) on viola,Natacha Colmez-Collard (Orchestre National d'Île-de-France) on violoncello, and Guillaume Sigier (Révélations classiques de l’ADAMI) on piano for this concert series. Our unique «Music by the Glass» chamber series creates a blend of culture and privileged conversations, chamber music and excellent wine, offering a unique experience to our guests. Two dates: Friday evening, June 17 @ 20h30 in the elegant private residence of one of our patrons, located on rue Saint-Honoré (1e); and Saturday evening in the modern ambience of our artistic partner, the Finnish Institute (5e). Just €25! Purchase tickets online.

May 14-June 18The 14th Murs Ouvertes (Open Walls for street art) takes place at Lavo//Matik, featuring a collective of street artists from around the world, free entry. Events during the festival include June 4th discount on all Obey t-shirts by Shepherd Fairey, June 11th signing by Levalet of his monograph "Des Illusions Comiques", and the June 18th closing party. They're also hosting a live concert for Fête dela Musique on June 21st.

June 19Get out your fancy hats and picnic baskets for the annual Prix de Diane races at Chantilly Hippodrome (just 45 minutes north of Paris from Gare du Nord). Read more about the event from previous years here.

June 21 Fête de la Musique!This annual all-night music festival takes place throughout France, but in Paris the whole city is overtaken: public spaces, bars, cafés, parks, sidewalks and even the streets are closed off for live music of every kind, performed by both famous and amateur musicians, from late afternoon through early morning, all concerts arefree and open to everyone. Please note the main metro lines will be running all night, but it will be hard to get around by taxi because of road closures (and Vélib's are typically locked down for the night). Bring your earplugs if you expect to try and sleep! See the full schedule here.

June 22-26Fans of gypsy jazz music won't want to miss the 37th annual Festival Django Reinhardt, usually in Samois sur Seine but moved to Fontainebleau after the floods. Stars this year include Didier Lockwood, Gregory Porter, Ibrahim Maalouf, Kamasi Washington, Shantel and Monsieur Perine. Tickets from €8, available at FNAC. Shuttle available back to Paris each night at the end of the concerts.

June 22 -August 2Les Soldes!The annual summer sales take place this year for five weeks throughout France, primarily in clothing stores, but pretty much everything is on sale now. And although most bloggers still get all frothy at the news, the sales are no longer just twice annually, so it's not the big deal it used to be.

June 24-26Solidaysis one of the best summer music festivals in France. This event unites more than 150 musicians (including Cypress Hill and Keziah Jones) and 160,000 attendees every year in the fight against AIDS, and this summer is expected to be bigger and better than ever. Day passes starting at €39.

June 26Celebrate Fête de la Musique in 17th-century aristocratic style at Château Vaux-le-Vicomte for their annual costumes dance event, La Journée Grand Siècle. There will be an elegant picnic in the chateau gardens, live music and dancing, as well as carriage rides and fashion shows. Tickets €9.50 if you're in costume, €17.50 without. If you don't have a costume gown you can rent one on-site from €20.

Through July 3If you're going up to Giverny to see Monet's gardens, do yourself a favor and make time to visit the neighboring Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny for the exposition on Gustave Caillebotte, one of Monet's closest friends, benefactors, and talented painter in his own right (personally my favorite among the Impressionists). The exhibit "Caillebotte, Painter and Gardener" highlights the artist's best garden-themed paintings. Open daily, with a gift shop and tearoom. Tickets €8.

Through July 17The Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme is hosting a photo exposition "Lore Krüger: A Photographer in Exile, 1934-1944". Considered one of the great photographers of the interwar period, she had an original look at street scenes, landscapes, and dramatic portraits. Closed Saturdays.

Through September 18Fan of Ice Age, Horton, Robots and other animated films of Blue Sky Studios? Don't miss the exhibition of their work in 800 drawings, paintings, and sculptures at the Musée Art Ludique, Docks en Seine, 34 quai d'Austerlitz, Paris 13th. Tckets €11-€16.50.

Through September 30The Mémorial de la Shoah is hosting a free exhibition on Women in the Resistance. A fascinating look at the role of women -- including many Jewish women -- who resisted the Nazis during the occupation. It features the recent publication of historic graphic novels on the subject published by Editions Casterman. Although the Holocaust Memorial's permanent collection is in English and French (and worth a visit itself if you are curious about the history of the Jewish people in France both before, during and after WWII), but the exhibiti is in French with audio-guides in English. Free entry.

Through October 1Looking for an alternative to Paris Plage? Glazart (near Parc de la Villette in the 19th) has it's own version, La Plage (the Beach), with free live music, techno parties, a huge sand "beach" with terrace, cocktail bar, food trucks, food trucks, and even pétanque. See the entire schedule of concerts here.

Through October 16Looking for a strange and unique place to visit? Like trains and food trucks? Grand Train is the "event of the season", in a disaffected train depot on the northern edge of the city, (26 rue Ordener, 18th, metro Marcadet-Poissoniers) with real historic trains, many different kinds of food-truck style food (pizza, Asian, gluten-free, Argentinean BBQ, etc), bars, a playground for kids and garden terraces to enjoy the sunshine. Free entry, stuff to buy, hipsters and their kids to compete with for the best spots.

Coming in July

July 2-3Paris à la Nage is an international Open Swim Stars event that -- historically in Paris -- used to take place in the Seine from 1905 until just after WW2. Today it takes place in the Bassin de la Villette (top of the Canal, 19th) with both former swim champions and passionate amateur athletes competing in three distances, 1km, 2km and 5km. If you'd like to participate or be a volunteer for the event, check out their website.